Google beats Microsoft for huge Ford contract that includes licenses for Android Auto

Google Assistant on Android Auto (Image credit: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

What you need to know

Google just signed a six-year deal with Ford for an undisclosed amount.
The deal gives Ford access to Google's Android Auto system as well as its cloud and AI services.
The first models with the integration are expected to arrive in 2023.

Google and Ford have formed a multi-year partnership that will see the two companies working together to drive the auto industry forward. As part of this six-year deal, the companies are collaborating on a new initiative called Team Upshift, which will bring their teams together to help modernize Ford's business and product offerings, while expanding the reach of Google's automotive and cloud services.

The deal will see Android Auto integrated into Ford and Lincoln vehicles, with the first models arriving in 2023. According to Ford, this will help the company to deliver unique experiences driven by Google's cloud and AI services that can not only personalize vehicles but make them more informative and useful. This means access to the best Android Auto apps and services like Google Assistant, Google Maps, various apps from the Play Store, and now even integration with Samsung SmartThings.

This is a first-of-a-kind in terms of an across-Alphabet partnership. It's a really strategic one because it links all the elements: The experience people have in the cars while they're driving, the experience they have in the front office, the transformation of manufacturing and supply chain, and the modernization of the IT system.

The partnership means Ford is free to divert its focus from building and maintaining an operating system, so supporting and creating new experiences for an existing one. Ford has already said that it plans to bring apps to the Google Play ecosystem. And as mentioned above, the company also plans to leverage Google's cloud and AI across all aspects of its business, from manufacturing to customer service, in order to drive modernization.

Excited to partner with you + your team, @jimfarley98 to apply the best of Google Cloud, Android and Google AI to help @Ford transform its business and build automotive technologies that keep people safe & connected on the road. https://t.co/SWkvUkM8lGExcited to partner with you + your team, @jimfarley98 to apply the best of Google Cloud, Android and Google AI to help @Ford transform its business and build automotive technologies that keep people safe & connected on the road. https://t.co/SWkvUkM8lG— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) February 1, 2021 February 1, 2021

For now, Ford will continue to use and maintain its Sync system, which was developed alongside Microsoft. It's likely Ford will continue to support the service even after newer Android Auto vehicles are launched, especially given the recent launch of models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.